Folding crate



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Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM O. LAITA AND JOHN A. PLUNK, OF'MICHIE, TENNESSEE.

FOLDING CRATE.

Application filed October 3, 1922; Serial No. 592,051.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, lVILLIAM O. LATTA and JOHN A. PLUNK, citizens of the United States, residing at Michie, in the county of McNairy and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Folding Crate; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple and strong and therefore durable shipping crate, suitable for poultry and other products which may be folded into compact form for return shipment to the producer and which can readily be folded and extended and of which all of the elements or members are connected together without any detachable features which can become misplaced or lost and which when folded can be locked in that condition so that injury may not occur to the parts thereof when in the knock-down condition; and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction, combination and relation of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a crate embodying the invention in the operative or shut-up condition,

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively longitudinal and transverse sectional views of the same, on the lines 22 and 33 of Figure 4,

Figure 4 is a plan view, V

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the crate in its folded condition, Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure '4'. is a detail sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 4, and

Figure 8 is a sectional view of one of the bearings or hinge eyes.

The crate consists essentially of a base or bottom 10, inwardly foldable end walls 11, inwardly foldable side walls 12 and a top wall 13 which may be provided with the usual door 14 yieldingly held closed by a spring 15 and provided with a latch 16. r

The end walls are provided with bottom hinge rods 17 mounted in bearing eyes 18, and coiled springs 19 are preferably used in connection therewith for holding the end walls in their upright position, but said wells may be folded into parallelism and contact with the bottom wall orbase where they'maly be firmly secured by turn buttons 20 swiveled on the base or bottom wall. The actuating springs for the end walls impart an outward swinging or extending impulse thereto.

The side walls are provided with bottom hinge rods 21 engaged by coiled springs 22 which impart an outward-or spreading impulse to said walls, so that when released the side wallsare spread or expanded by their actuating springs. The side walls'are provided with terminal parallel sided links 23 of a length corresponding with the width of said walls and the top wall is provided at its ends with horizontal depending parallel sided links 24 with which the links at the ends of the side walls have an interlocking sliding connection so that the links of the top wall serve as a means for limiting the outward swinging movement or expansion of the side walls. As the crate is folded, the side walls being swung inwardly and the top wall moving downwardly, the interlocking links of theside and top walls slide with relation to each other, the side walls ultimately lying upon the end walls and the top wall covering the inwardly folded side walls, whereupon the top wall is secured to the base or bottom wall by a locking device consisting-of a rock shaft 25 provided with hooks 26 for engaging eyes 27 on the base or bottom. At an intermediate portion of its length the rocker shaft is provided with a latch arm'28 havwall, and the elevation of which is limited by the engagement of the upper ends of the links of the side walls with the extremities of the links of the top wall, while upon the disengagement of the turn buttons from the end walls the latter are folded outwardly until their movement is checked by contact with the depending links on the ends of the top walls which constitute stops for said end walls. The end walls may be locked in their position and the other members of the crate secured against displacement by the return movement of. the side walls, all of said Walls.

being. foldable into parallelism with thebase where they may be securedin compact relation for return shipment and storage.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. A. folding crate having a'base, inwardly foldable end and side walls and a top wall carried by the side walls and. having an in-. terlocking sliding connect-ion at its extremitieslwith said sidewalls, the side walls having outwardly swinging. or expanding actuating springs.

2. A folding crate having a base, inwardly foldable end and; side walls and a top wall carried by the sidewalls and, having an interlockingsliding connection at its extremities,- witlrsaid sidewalls, the side walls having outwardly swinging or expanding actuating springs, and means carried by the top wallfor locking, the. same in itsfolded position.

A foldingcrate having. a base, inwardly foldahleend and side; walls and a topwall carried by the. sidewalls. and having an interlocking. slidin connection at its. extremities with. said: side walls, the side wallshaving outwardly, swinging or expanding ac.- tuating springs, and arocl shaft carried by the top wall. and havi-ng; hooks-for engaging eyes on the bottom wall.

l. A, folding crate having a base, inwardly foldable. end-tend: side walls. and a top wall carried the side wallsv and having an interlocking sliding connection at its extremities. with said. side walls, the side walls hav- Thus both side and end ing outwardly swinging or expanding ac tuatingi springs, and a rock shaft carried by the top wall and having hooks for engaging eyes on the bottom wall, said rock shaft having a latch arm for engaging an element of the top wall to hold the rock shaft in its locking position.

5. A- foldi-ng crate having a base, inwardly foldablc end and side walls and a top wall carried by the side walls. and having an interlocking sliding connection at its extremities with said side walls, the end and side. walls being provided with outwardly swinging actuating springs, and means for seeming-the end wallsand meansfor secur ing the top wall in folded relation with the base.

6; in,foldin ycrate having a base. immrdl a :1 foldable endandsidewalls and a top wall carried-by the side walls and having an interlocking sliding, connection at its extremities withsaid. side walls, the side walls having; outwardly swinging on expanding actuatin-g, springs, and-arock shaft, carried by the top wall' and having hooks for engaging eyes on the bottom wall, said hooks serving to,locltthe end walls intheir extended positions.

7 A. foldingcrate having a base, inwardly fol'dable endand sidewalls. and a top wall carried by the sidewalls and having an interlocking. sliding connectionat its eXtremities with said side walls, said side walls provided; with outwardly swinging, actuatingsprings, means for securing the end walls in foldedgcondition, andii'i-dependent means for: securing theetop wall infolded relation with the base.

hitestimonywhereof weaflix our signatures. in presence, of' tw-o witnesses.

WILLIAM'O. LATTA. Jot-in A. PLUNK. Witnesses J. W. MARLER,

HARD-WICK; 

